Hiring UK staff for French chalet work 鈥榲ery complicated鈥� post-Brexit
It is easier and cheaper to recruit from Australia and New Zealand, says business owner in the Alps
French ski chalet employers need to pay a monthly 鈧�50 tax
Jordi Prats / Shutterstock
A chalet business owner has spoken of how complicated it has become to recruit people from the UK to work in the Alps.
Jana, from Montagne & Tradition in Les Gets, Haute-Savoie, says she has managed it this year 鈥� her staff is around half British, as before Brexit 鈥� but it has been expensive.
She gave up completely in 2020-21 and has heard others locally saying they will now stick to recruiting EU citizens.
Jana said it is easier to recruit from Australia and New Zealand, which have deals in place on seasonal work.
鈥淲e try not to look at the passport, but at the person and their experience,鈥� she said.
Read more: Energy crisis: Will French ski resorts raise their prices this year?
Complicated process
She said the process ideally needs to begin in September for a Decem颅ber start.
She has to advertise the job for three weeks at P么le Emploi, though chalet host work is not sought-after and locals do not usually have fluent English.
She must obtain a work permit with a letter saying no one qualified applied. Then, a Briton can apply (and pay) for a visa in the UK.
In France, the employee must apply at the prefecture for a residency card within three months 鈥� and attend a medical 鈥� and the employer needs to pay a monthly 鈧�50 tax.
Read more: French farmers鈥� union welcomes plans for new residency permit
鈥淥ur nearest prefecture is at Annecy, an hour鈥檚 drive away, and we need to take each person down three times during the season for appointments.
鈥淚f someone leaves, then it鈥檚 almost impossible to re-hire during the season.鈥�
No seasonal work agreement with UK
She organises the paperwork and appointments in France as the employees are unfamiliar with it and may not speak French.
She said the P么le Emploi ad颅vert is valid for six months 鈥� you can rehire someone for the same position 鈥� but the rest of the process takes about two months.
鈥淲e go with the flow but it鈥檚 a pity, as it鈥檚 a big market in the UK to come and do a season, winter or summer, but due to Brexit and no agreement, it鈥檚 putting a lot of recruiters off.鈥�
Related articles
Holidays are ending but France鈥檚 winter fun is hopefully just starting
Ski hotels in French Alps are 鈥榡ust like home, but better!鈥�
Are there any benefits to putting French mountain chalet into SCI?
